"It wasn't meant for you. It was really meant for a bear or a deer or something. You accidentally triggered it, is all."

"Just get me down."

"I don't know. I'm kinda liking this."

Matthew peered up at Guy, dangling from a net in the local foliage. He didn't look at all happy. Or comfortable, Matthew thought with a wince. Guy's head was practically in his armpit, his legs were at some weird, bent angles. His face was pressed against the netting, fixed into a miserable little glare, but if he was trying to intimidate Matthew, it wasn't working.

"Well, I'm not! Matthew, just get me down! Or… Or else!"

"Or else, what? You're going to chop me up with your big scary sword?" Matthew picked up the aforementioned sword, which was lying uselessly on the ground beneath the net Guy currently hung from.

"Mggggrrrrrrrrr!" Guy struggled against the ropes of the net, making strange squeals and yelps of pain as his limbs went in unexpected directions. Matthew was surprised at how well the net was holding up, considering he'd been the one to rig it. He'd mostly done it for kicks, but he hadn't expected it to be this amusing. All right, maybe he had.

"Tsk, you're not being very polite about this, Guy. Usually when a person wants some help, they ask nicely."

"Polite?! Polite people don't set up traps around camp to catch bears or deers or whatever and accidentally catch their allies instead! Polite people let their friends down when they're stuck in a net! I never met anyone less polite than you!"

"Deers?" Matthew asked, in amusement. He was now swinging Guy's sword like a pendulum. Back, forth, back, forth. "Aw, I'm flattered, Guy. You consider us to be friends?"

"Not anymore, I don't!"

"Ssss… Stings. I'm wounded."

Guy thrashed about inside the net, and Matthew heard an ominous crack. Uh-oh. He stared up and saw the rift running down the trunk, threatening to separate branch from tree in a matter of moments. He acted immediately, cutting into the rope that held the net suspended up in the heights of the tree. He tossed the sword aside and caught Guy as he plummeted to the ground. Stumbling backwards with the myrmidon in tow, the pair narrowly escaped the branch that followed shortly.

Matthew nearly fell fully backwards, but a well placed tree kept him somewhat upright. With a huge exhalation, he slid down and sat with a whump. Guy was cradled in his arms like a precious treasure.

"You all right?" He asked, breathless.

Guy attempted to untangle his body from the complicated netting, but only succeeded in wrapping himself further. He made a noise of frustration and his fist connected with Matthew's chest.

"Damn you! You almost killed us!"

"It would have been something interesting for the others to write home about."

"I'm being serious, Matthew! That could have been the end! I would never prove myself, you would never! Never! Well, I don't know what you'd never do, but I have big plans to be the best, and I'm not letting you and your stupid nets get in my way again!"

During this entire speech, the young myrmidon had been trying to get himself out of the net, but still hadn't met with much success. Matthew laughed, low and under his breath.

"And stop with the laughing! I can feel you laughing, you know! You could at least stop holding onto me. This feels… Kinda awkward." Matthew watched a blush rise to Guy's cheeks. He violently turned to the side, probably trying to roll off Matthew on his own. Matthew hastily blocked his retreat and ran his hand down Guy's arm.

"Relax," he purred, stroking the myrmidon's arm as if it were a cat. "If you just relax, it'll make this a lot easier."

"Wh-what?" Guy shivered involuntarily. He didn't move, though, giving Matthew his acquiescence. Matthew grinned at this, although he decided to leave the comments to himself—for the moment. He reached into his boot and slid out a knife. Guy's eyes grew large, but he said nothing. He understood what Matthew was going to do with it; any genius would have. Cutting away at the ropes, Matthew eventually freed the wild myrmidon.

Sitting up and casting the bits of rope away with relish, Guy stretched his arms over his head and glowered at Matthew. So Matthew did what any self-respecting opportunist would have; he grabbed Guy's wrists and shoved him backwards onto the grass and straddled him.

"H-hey!"

A roguish grin crossed his face. He lowered his head so that he was one sweet breath away from a kiss. Guy let out a small gasp, his lips parting. Amber eyes flicked down at them, then back towards huge green-blue eyes.

"You seem to have a habit of being captured by me."

"Th-that's because you have a habit of—of capturing me!"

"You're as eloquent as ever, I see. You might want to work on that."

Guy squirmed slightly beneath him and Matthew's eyes slid half closed, grin widening. Guy seemed to be having a hard time catching his breath.

"By all means, Guy, keep struggling. I still don't think you're going anywhere. Nor that you want to… Do you?"

"What do you mean to do?"

"What do you think I mean to do?"

Guy swallowed and turned his head to the side. Matthew feasted on the sight. The curve of his jaw line, the way the hair fell across his downcast eyes. He could even see the light curl of his eyelashes. The tremble of his lips as he tried to think of a retort. Matthew could save him the trouble. He licked his own lips, the thought of guiding them along the soft skin of the myrmidon was very tempting…

"Well?" he whispered, letting his breath ghost across Guy's exposed throat. Guy closed his eyes. One of his arms twitched in a vain attempt at pretending he was trying to escape. "Any ideas?"

"…Just let me go."

"Do you really want me to?" The question was met with silence and Matthew smirked. He touched his lips to Guy's throat in a chaste kiss. The myrmidon's heartbeat danced to a quick rhythm. It gave him a rush, knowing that he had some effect on the young male. It also reminded him of how little Guy knew about this kind of thing. How much Matthew longed to teach him. Matthew moved back, releasing his hold on Guy's wrists. He trailed two fingers down Guy's stomach and he gasped and jerked beneath the touch. Could be that he'd already had Guy in his net long before he'd ever been suspended in a tree.

"Responsive, aren't you?" Matthew observed as he removed himself from Guy's body.

He immediately sprang up and reclaimed his sword. As he sheathed it, he regarded Matthew with a frown.

"Y-yeah, well! You… You…Need to stop being…"

"Yes?" Matthew took a step forward. Guy turned an interesting shade of red and jumped back.

"Never mind!" He declared, before stalking off back towards the camp. Matthew shook his head.

Maybe he needed a bigger net.

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